Chapter 38: Comparisons Make People Feel Worse! 

If it weren’t for the comparison with Han Shiguo, Shouliang’s wife wouldn’t have dared to think like this.

But people just can’t help comparing; it’s always about the “one-upmanship!”

It was precisely because of Han Shiguo that Wang Hesong seemed so lacking in sincerity.

Still, since he worked in the town office, Shouliang’s wife didn’t want to offend him, so she quickly got to tidying up.

“I didn’t know you were coming, so we weren’t prepared. The house is a bit messy; I hope you don’t mind,” Sun Shi said with a forced smile to Wang Hesong.

Although she smiled brightly, she was far from feeling comfortable inside.

Still, as the saying goes, “No comparison, no harm.” Though she hadn’t specifically asked around, the neighbors were all gossiping.

Who didn’t know the gifts Han Shiguo had brought when he came to visit?

He came with full sincerity, unlike this one, who arrived empty-handed!

Her family did end up picking up sesame seeds and losing the watermelon!

Han Shiguo was the big watermelon, while Wang Hesong was just a small sesame seed.

“It’s fine; I just brought Jiang Yue back,” Wang Hesong didn’t want to stay too long, but since the Jiang family was being so welcoming, he figured he might as well sit for a while.

He didn’t feel any particular issue with arriving empty-handed, though, because it was Jiang Yue who had suddenly asked him to come, and he hadn’t planned on it, so of course, he hadn’t prepared anything.

But now that he was there, Second Uncle Jiang and Jiang Shouliang also sat down to chat with him.

As for Sun Shi, she didn’t hold back. After all, her daughter had given up such a hard-to-come-by marriage with the Han family just to be with the Wang family.

The Wang family should at least show some sincerity, right?

Taking advantage of their chat, Sun Shi casually asked Wang Hesong when he planned to formally propose.

“It can be whenever depending on when it’s convenient for you all. If it’s fine, I’ll go back and tell my mother, and then we can ask the matchmaker to come over,” Wang Hesong said. He knew that he had no choice but to marry Jiang Yue now, especially since she was carrying his child.

Hearing his response, Sun Shi felt a bit more satisfied. She then brought up the matter of Han Shiguo’s engagement gifts—the “three turns and one sound.”

When Zhou Guiyun, the big sister-in-law, had come to notify them earlier, she had asked what kind of gifts would be given.

Zhou Guiyun had laughed and mentioned a sewing machine.

But now, aside from the sewing machine, shouldn’t there also be a bicycle, a radio, and a watch?

If the Wang family could provide the “three turns and one ring,” her family wouldn’t be the subject of ridicule.

However, that was impossible. Wang Hesong didn’t respond to that request. “I’ve already talked to Jiang Yue about it. Aunt, you can ask her. It’s getting late, so I’ll head back now.”

He didn’t linger any longer and stood up to leave.

His attitude left both Second Uncle Jiang and Sun Shi feeling uneasy.

Sun Shi couldn’t help but ask her daughter, “Hesong said he talked to you about it. What did he say?”

When the topic came up, Jiang Yue felt a bit embarrassed to speak, but she couldn’t hide it anymore and had to tell the truth. “Originally, we had ordered a sewing machine, but his mother canceled it…”

“What do you mean?” Sun Shi’s expression stiffened.

“His mother said I’m not the daughter-in-law she had in mind, so she wouldn’t give the sewing machine. Instead, it’s just fifty in cash and thirty-six legs,” Jiang Yue replied honestly.

Sun Shi, realizing what had happened, trembled with anger. “You gave up a good match with the Han family for Wang Hesong, and now they’re treating you like this? They even canceled the sewing machine that was already arranged. And forty-eight legs  have been reduced to thirty-six?”

Second Uncle Jiang’s forehead also twitched with frustration.

Jiang Shouliang furrowed his brow, and Jiang Shouliang’s wife couldn’t help but show a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes.

Faced with the attitude of her family, Jiang Yue felt embarrassed. She made a mental note of it. “A gentleman takes revenge after ten years,” she thought. For now, they were making her feel humiliated, but once she entered the Wang family, she would make that old woman pay!

But at this moment, Jiang Yue could only hold her ground and brush it off. “It’s just some junk. I don’t care about it. If we don’t have it, we don’t have it. Can’t we still live our lives?”

“Oh, little sister, you really are something else. The three turns and one sound in your mouth, it’s just junk. Yeah, yeah, you don’t care; you look down on it!” Jiang Shouliang’s wife couldn’t help but sneer.

However, this time, Sun Shi didn’t defend her daughter. She couldn’t help but scold, “They treat you like this now; just wait until you marry into their family. You’ll get your share of suffering. But this is your own doing; you brought it on yourself. Don’t come crying back in the future!”

In those days, a bride price of fifty yuan and thirty-six pairs of legs could still be considered decent. After all, having a son-in-law like Wang Hesong, who worked at the town unit, was a significant point of pride.

However, when compared to the lavish gifts from the Han family, who had made an extravagant investment to marry Jiang Qian, the Wang family was left in the dust.

The contrast was so stark that it left Sun Shi feeling both embarrassed and furious. Not only was she ashamed, but even Second Uncle Jiang couldn’t hold his head up high!

But what could they do?

No matter how much they complained, it all came down to the fact that their own daughter wasn’t virtuous, having given herself to someone and gotten pregnant before marriage. Now, they were at the mercy of others.

Wang Hesong wasn’t concerned with all this.

It was rare for him to come to the Wuxing Brigade, and he couldn’t help but feel a little unwilling as he left, especially since he hadn’t seen Jiang Qian.

After they left the village entrance, a boy approached, holding a dime, and called out to get someone.

The boy, who came looking for Jiang Qian, was the nephew of her second grandfather. “Aunt, someone’s looking for you.”

Jiang Qian, who was feeding the chickens in the yard, responded when she heard the call, “Who is it?”

“I don’t know, a man. He said he was looking for you and was waiting at the village entrance. He wants you to go over.” The boy answered.

Jiang Qian responded, “Alright, I know. You go on and do your thing.”

The boy, seeing that she acknowledged him, happily played with the dime in his pocket and wandered off.

After finishing feeding the chickens, Jiang Qian paid no further attention to the matter.

She had just heard from her sister-in-law that Jiang Yue had brought Wang Hesong back.

So, was the person looking for her Wang Hesong?

Why would she go? She had nothing to do with Wang Hesong, and they hadn’t even started a relationship yet. There was nothing to talk about.

So, Jiang Qian didn’t pay it any mind.

However, her third brother, Jiang Shouhe, who was chopping firewood, squinted his eyes. Seeing his younger sister disregard the matter, he smiled faintly, grabbed a burlap sack, and went out.

He had been meaning to deal with that troublesome guy for a while but hadn’t found the chance. Now that it had presented itself, how could he let it slip?

Wang Hesong waited at the village entrance for over an hour, the cold wind numbing his face, but he still hadn’t seen anyone!

Unable to hold back, he muttered a curse under his breath—“That little brat probably took the money and didn’t do the job! ”

He had intended to tell Jiang Qian not to act impulsively and marry just to get back at him. After all, they had only just met. How could she be sure of the other person’s character?

In the end, he couldn’t even get a glimpse of her.

However, there was no way Wang Hesong would dare go to her house. After all, she had several older brothers. If he went there and got caught, he’d surely be in for some punishment!

Unable to wait any longer, Wang Hesong reluctantly left.

But as he passed the small woods near the Wuxing Brigade village entrance, someone suddenly threw a burlap sack over his head and gave him a good beating!